Life's Unexpected Challenges
by SG-LAB
Summary: Annabeth Sheppard, daughter of John and Elizabeth, is head of Atlantis. S/W implied, omc/omf


Title: Life's Unexpected Challenges

Summary: A day in the life of a woman with greater challenges than the average person

Rating: PG

Author: sg_lab

Fandom: SG: Atlantis

Characters/Pairings: Sheppard/Weir, Beckett/Cadman, McKay/Keller, Lorne/Heigtmeyer and a few ofc's, omc's

Beta: No, but if anyone's interested let me know

A/N: This is an AU set several years into the future. It's about the next generation of Atlanteans. Annabeth Sheppard is the main focus. I was inspired by the newest guest character info for SGU. Annabeth is the leader of Atlantis and she was born with a birth defect Spina Bifida leaving her to use a wheelchair.

Annabeth Sheppard was making her way through the bowels of Atlantis. A voice in the back of her head scolded her for coming down here alone, but she was stubborn not unlike her parents.

Her arms were starting to feel like rubber and she was breathing pretty hard. She could feel sweat rolling down her back. It had been suggested to her that she get an electric wheelchair but she had continued to scoff at the idea.

Annabeth, Anna to her friends, had been born with Spina Bifida; a condition in which she was born with damage to the spinal cord. It had left her paralyzed from about her knees down due to the fact the damage was low in her spine. When she was old enough she started to use the only wheelchair in the city. It was by no means perfect; after all one size did not fit all when it came to a wheelchair.

Being born on Atlantis there were many wondrous things; some of which had been a great help to her medically when she was born but they could not completely repair the defect in her spinal cord.

At the time she was born they had already been cut off from Earth for a few years since the Assuran's attack on Atlantis forcing the city to relocate to a different planet.

Anna was twelve when they finally contacted Earth. Her parents John Sheppard and Elizabeth Weir had debated long and hard as to whether or not they should return to Earth. Anna didn't want to go to Earth a place that she had never been. She didn't want to leave her friends and she loved Atlantis. Finally they decided to visit Earth for a little while and meet with some doctors. In time they had concluded they could raise her in Atlantis. So they returned returning occasionally for doctor and other family visits.

They had discovered when she was eight that she had the ATA gene just like her father. She had always felt connected to the city like her father. Her mother of course had her own connection to the city but it was a different kind of connection, but no less special.

Sometimes Anna would have the silly thought that the scolding voice in the back of her head was Atlantis chastising her for her stubbornness.

Anna pushed herself until she was sitting in the doorway of the room where her chief of science was working. "Hey Junior, how are you doing with the repairs?"

Dr. Rodney McKay Jr. stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Anna. Rodney or Junior as Anna liked to call him, glared at her. "Sheppard, you did not come all the way down here to ask me that did you?"

Anna gave her best friend her most charming smile. She'd learned it from her dad. "I needed to get out of the office for awhile. Besides, I wasn't getting you on the radio down here."

"Don't you have a meeting to attend to?" Rodney asked.

"Yes, we do," Anna said emphasizing the word 'we'.

"Right," Rodney said gathering up some things and putting them in a bag that he pulled over his shoulder before heading towards the door. "Hands," he said to her grabbing the bars in the back of her chair. She lifted her hands from her wheels putting them in her lap.

"You know, it's proper etiquette to ask a person in a wheelchair if they'd like help," it was something she said to him all the time but in truth he was the only person who could get away with not asking.

Rodney was lean and his hair was already showing signs of receding at thirty-three. He was very much a combination of his parents Rodney McKay and Jennifer Keller. He was a member of an offworld team just like his father had been. Just like Anna's father.

Anna rested into her chair as they went back through Atlantis to the briefing room. It was the weekly meeting of all department heads.

Rodney gave a dramatic sigh as he pushed Elizabeth up to the head of the table. People were just now coming in. Marcus Lorne was one of the first to come in. His father was Evan Lorne, Anna's father's executive officer.

Marc was in the Air Force just like his father. He had returned to Earth for a number of years to enter the military and returned as an officer. Eventually he became military leader of Atlantis.

"Anna, are you all right?" Marc sat next to her.

"I just over did it a bit today," she said and heard a sound from her other side. It was Rodney who had made a choking sound. Anna simply glared at him before beginning the meeting.

SB

Anna checked her watch noting it was an hour before dinner. She really needed to put her feet up for awhile. Coming out of her office she told her office assistant she would be in her quarters for the next hour. She told the young woman to call her on the radio if there was an emergency. She really hoped there wouldn't be one.

Entering her quarters she took off her shoes, pulled the blankets down towards the foot of the bed and crawled in. She then leaned over to her night stand and set her alarm clock for an hour.

Leaning back against the pillow she closed her eyes thinking the lights off.

It was only a few minutes later when her door buzzed. Anna sighed sitting up. She called to whoever was outside her room to come in.

The door slid opened revealing Marc standing just outside her room. "Marc, is there something I can do for you? I hope there's not some emergency."

"No," he assured. "No emergency," he smiled. "Mind if I come in?"

"Sure," Anna said.

He walked in coming around the other side of the bed and sitting on the edge. "I was just wondering if you were free for dinner tonight."

"I was planning to be in the mess in an hour," she said. "I'm behaving," she gave him a cheeky grin.

"Just," he teased her and leaned over towards her pressing a kiss to her lips.

Anna stiffened just a little at the touch of Marc's lips on hers. It wasn't that they hadn't been intimate in their relationship, but she knew he wanted more and she wasn't sure she was ready. The two of them had been going back and forth in their relationship for most of their lives. They had grown up together. By the time she started noticing boys she had developed a crush on Marc.

There weren't many boys her age when she was a teenager and her disability had made her self conscious. While everyone was used to her and treated her like everyone else she didn't know anyone else like her and sometimes she felt like she stuck out in a way that made her uncomfortable.

So she was very guarded using her work as a shield.

"I was hoping for dinner for just the two of us," he said pulling away.

"All right," she agreed. "Are we still watching a movie with your team?"

"Yeah," he said.

"Okay, give me an hour and I'm all yours," she swallowed wishing she hadn't put it quite that way.

Marc nodded and stood up. "Have a good nap," he said before leaving her quarters.

Anna lay back against her pillows releasing a puff of air.

SB

A little over an hour later Anna was sitting at a table in Marc's quarters. He had brought in all the food before she had arrived.

Her nap had turned out much shorter than she had planned. She had cut it in half to take a shower cleaning up and putting on some fresh clothes.

"This looks great," she told him.

He smiled sitting across from her. "So I hear you decided to go on a one woman marathon into the lower reaches of Atlantis."

"He's such a loud mouth," Anna said petulantly.

"He cares," Marc said. "You're his best friend. Why didn't you two ever…you know?"

Anna laughed. "I love him, but we'd kill each other if we were a couple."

She cut into her food and a grimace shadowed her face.

"Are you okay?" Marc placed a hand on her wrist.

"Cramp in my arms," she said.

"Here," he scooted his chair over so he was sitting next to her. He put her utensils down wrapping his hand around her closest arm. He then proceeded to massage the strong defined muscles of her arm.

She moaned appreciatively. "That feels good."

"Good," he leaned over kissing her neck. Pulling back he moved over to the other side of her and massaged her other arm.

"I'll have to give you a proper massage one of these days," he said when he was finished and she was more relaxed than she had been all day.

"I'd like that," she said.

"Good," he pressed a quick kiss to her lips before returning to his seat. "We better get done before my teammates come searching for us."

Anna relaxed even more. As much as Marc wanted more in their relationship he also knew when not to push. They enjoyed their dinner and each other until it was time to go meet his teammates.

SB

When they were finished with dinner Anna let Marc push her into the rec room where there was a big screen TV for people to watch their movies or shows on disc.

"It's about time," Rodney snarked.

"Keep your pants on, McKay," Marc snarked back.

"Children," Anna scolded transferring onto one of the couches

"How are you today, Anna?" Sela Dex asked. She was the daughter of Ronon Dex and Teyla Emmagen.

"A little tired today, Sela," McKay snorted as Anna spoke. "Nobody asked for any comments from the peanut gallery, Junior."

Marc sat down resting Anna's legs across his lap. "Hey, where's Beckett?"

Lt. Connor Beckett was Carson Beckett and Laura Cadman's youngest child. He was a twenty-four year old marine just like his mom and a promising medical doctor like his dad.

"Sorry I'm late," the young man rushed in. "I had to do some stitches."

"Stitches?" Anna looked over at the young marine.

"Nothing serious, just a couple of stitches to one of the scientist's arm," Connor said.

"Who?" Rodney stood up.

"Um Gorshen? I think that's his name," Connor looked at the head scientist a little nervously. Teammate or not Rodney could be kind of scary.

"Figures," Rodney plopped back down.

"I'm sure you did a good job, Connor," Anna reassured the younger man. "Your father is very proud of your progress," Connor's head dipped but not before Anna could see his cheeks redden. He was interning in Atlantis after coming back from medical school on Earth.

"Are we ready to watch this movie?" Marc asked.

A chorus of yes's were his answer.

SB

Anna stretched out on her mattress thinking the lights off. She heard the door open and cracked open an eye. "Isn't it common courtesy to ring first?" She smirked.

"Sorry," Marc said not looking the least bit sorry. "Mind if I come in?"

Marc was wearing a t-shirt and grey jogging pants. She waved him in. "Nothing tonight though, okay?"

"Wasn't planning on it," he said coming over to the other side of the bed. He took off his running shoes before slipping in under the covers next to her.

Anna turned taking a minute to adjust her position before finally settling her head on Marc's shoulder.

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" Mar asked her.

Anna smiled to herself. Marc would talk to her for a little while before drifting off to sleep because he knew it took her awhile to unwind and fall asleep.

"I have a checkup with Carson tomorrow," she said.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"Yep," she said. "Just a routine check up."

"That's good," he kissed the top of her head. She could feel him begin to drift off. "Goodnight Anna."

"Goodnight Marc," she said listening to him slip into sleep.

The End


End file.
